Apples Don't Fall Far from the Tree

by BronyDad

The Missing Piece

Chapter 3

The Missing Piece

As Applejack regained consciousness and slowly opened her eyes, she was immediately blinded by the sun glaring in her face. Squinting against the harsh light, she let out a startled cry as she caught sight of the ground far below, and with a frantic kick of her hooves, she tumbled off of the thick branch that she had been lying on. She only fell a couple of feet, however, before coming to a sudden halt, swinging from the rope that was still wrapped around her left hind leg.

Applejack closed her eyes and got her breathing under control, and then glanced up at the deflated balloon above. It was snagged on the highest branches of the tree, and below it was the basket hanging awkwardly on its side. Directly beneath her was another thick branch, but she would have to untie her leg to reach it.

With a loud grunt, Applejack bent forward and gripped the rope tightly with her forelegs. As she loosened the loop around her hind leg with her teeth, the last few moments of the previous night replayed in her mind.

I can't believe I was that careless. Sure, I was more worried about getting Apple Bloom and her friends down safely than I was for myself, but I was just plain negligent. Foiled by a rope! Me, of all ponies!

Applejack gave the rope a final hard yank, then fell the short distance to the branch below and grabbed it with her forelegs. Dangling high above the ground, she brought up a back leg and straddled it as she searched for another branch within easy reach.

She quickly spotted another thick branch and carefully lowered herself onto it, but it unexpectedly snapped under her weight. With a shout, she fell several feet before landing on another branch much further down. Unfortunately, she barely had time to sigh with relief before it too dropped out from beneath her with a loud crack, and she plummeted to the ground.

Applejack crashed into the dense foliage with enough force to drive the air from her lungs. With a groan, she rolled onto her stomach and took several moments to catch her breath before crawling out of the undergrowth.

"Thank Celestia I wasn't hurt comin' down," Applejack said aloud, gazing up at the balloon. She studied the large tear in its side that had snagged several branches, and as her eyes lowered to the toppled basket, it occurred to her that it was nothing short of miraculous that she had landed safely in the tree. "Oh my," Applejack said, sitting down as she realized just how lucky she had been. "If those branches hadn't caught the balloon, or if that rope hadn't been as secured to the basket, I would've been done for."

Suddenly Applejack became aware that she wasn't wearing her hat. With a start, she jumped up and turned in a small circle. "Where is it?" Her eyes scanned the many branches of the tree anxiously, but found no trace of it. Applejack struggled to remember when she had last had it. She knew that she had had it when the girls had jumped into the lake, but she had no idea when she had lost it.

A deep regret pierced her heart as she realized that her hat was gone for good. Her Granny Smith had given her that hat the same day that she had gotten her cutie mark, and it had become a part of who she was. Now that she had lost it, it felt as if a vital piece of her was missing.

For a moment, she allowed her sorrow to surface as she said a silent goodbye, but then she shoved her emotions aside. There was nothing that she could do for her hat, and it wouldn't do her any good to cry over it. She needed to get home to her family.

"Oh, that Apple Bloom," Applejack grumbled. "When I get back, I'm gonna kick her tail."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Applejack knew that they were untrue. She didn't blame the little filly. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen. She knew that Apple Bloom would be torn up with guilt over the accident, and would remain so until Applejack arrived safely back home. All she really cared about was getting back home as quickly as possible so her little sister wouldn't suffer for long.

"All right, then," Applejack said as she looked around. "Which way do I go?"

Through the thick canopy far above, Applejack could only see splotches of sky. She knew that she needed to head east, but if she couldn't see the sun, how would she know which way to go?

She recalled that when she had first awoken in the tree, the sun had been in her eyes. Her eyes squinted in concentration, Applejack reached up to fidget with her missing hat as she tried to judge which branch she had been on and what direction she'd been facing. It was difficult since she had fallen before she had realized where she was, but after several minutes, she was pretty sure she knew which branch she had been on.

Confident that she knew which direction to head, Applejack started off at a canter, wanting to get back home before it got too late. As she traveled among the large twisted trees and through the dense brush, Applejack's mind turned back to Apple Bloom.

Her friends had told her countless times in the past that she worried too much over her little sister, but she just couldn't help it. Applejack had practically raised Apple Bloom singlehoofedly from an infant while Big McIntosh and Granny Smith had done most of the work around the farm. Having been even younger than Apple Bloom was now, Applejack had strove to meet her baby sister's every need, often spending sleepless nights sitting next to the crib.

As the years passed, and Granny Smith began to have trouble keeping up with the chores, Applejack had eventually switched jobs with the elderly pony. Still, she had fretted over Apple Bloom constantly, and to this day, she felt responsible for her safety.

Applejack still remembered taking Apple Bloom to school for the first time and meeting with Cheerilee. Her little sister had been so excited that she hadn't been able to sit still and as Applejack watched, she had pranced straight over to another young filly named Twist and they instantly became friends. Full of pride, Applejack had said goodbye to Cheerilee and walked back to the farm. Halfway home, her eyes had unexpectedly welled up with tears of joy mixed with sadness as she suddenly realized that the little filly had grown up.

With these happy memories circling in her mind, Applejack moved at a moderate pace through the forest. After a few short hours, however, she skidded to a halt as dread knotted in her stomach.

Although the canopy was no more dense than it had been earlier, the forest was growing noticeably darker. That could only mean one thing. It was evening.

When she had estimated where the sun had been, she had assumed that it had been sometime in the morning, but now, she understood that it had been afternoon.

"Celestia's mane!" Applejack exclaimed in dismay. "I've been goin' the wrong direction! I'm deeper in the forest now than when I started!"

Frightened by both the prospect of being in the Everfree Forest after dark and the knowledge that she didn't have the faintest idea which way to go, Applejack felt her panic rise up and threaten to take control.

As she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, Applejack reached up to once again fidget with her hat.

"Consarn it!" She stomped her hoof in frustration as her hoof found only her mane.

"Okay, okay, calm down," she whispered to herself after another deep breath. "Are ya a country girl, or ain't ya? This isn't exactly the first time you've been in the Everfree Forest. Nothin' is gonna happen."

Beginning to feel better, Applejack took a moment to take in her surroundings.

She'd entered the Everfree Forest numerous times, and just a couple of months ago, she had even spent the night in the forest, during which she had stayed awake nearly the entire time so that her friends and Zecora could get plenty of rest. Although she had had a few close calls, that had never stopped her from re-entering the Everfree Forest when she needed to.

I'm going to be fine, she told herself resolutely. There ain't a forest in Equestria that I can't handle on my own.

Determined to make up for lost time, Applejack started back the way she had come, but only an hour later, a near perfect darkness had fallen over the forest.

Unable to see more than a single step ahead of her, she slowed her pace to a crawl. Despite the fact that she kept stumbling over vegetation and bumping into trees, Applejack moved stubbornly forward.

All around her were numerous strange calls and the rustling of nearby brush as the nocturnal creatures emerged from their dens to hunt. Swallowing hard, she wondered if the Timberwolves or the manticore were nocturnal, and she began imagining herself walking blindly into an awaiting maw full of razor sharp teeth.

After what felt like an eternity, she began to notice that the forest was glowing with a soft light. She glanced up to find that the canopy had thinned out and she could glimpse the full moon overhead.

Thankful for the light, Applejack quickened her pace, keeping her eyes to the ground to prevent any further tripping. As the breeze swayed the branches above, the dark splotches of shadows surrounding her began to dance as if they were infected with a festive life of their own.

Uneasily, Applejack pushed forward, and soon found herself in a wide open field.

"Oh, thank Celestia," Applejack muttered, relieved to be free of the oppressing trees. She flopped down on her rump and tried to get her nerves under control as she gazed at the cloudless night sky.

As she studied the constellations above, Applejack smiled. Now she could find her way home, everything she needed was in the sky.

At least once a year, Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity managed to clear their busy schedules and make time for a slumber party. The party was a private celebration between the three of them honoring the night that Applejack and Rarity had become friends.

During these slumber parties, they often commemorated their differences by engaging in activates based on one of the three's hobbies. These were the only times that anypony alive on Equestria would ever see Applejack willingly dress herself in a sickeningly girly gown, or Rarity covered in apple juice making fritters. It was also the only time that either Rarity or Applejack would sit and listen to Twilight ramble on about the stars.

Although Applejack had found Twilight's lectures on constellations more boring than one of Granny Smith's Ponyville Committee meetings, there had been one thing that had caught her interest.

She had been fascinated by the North Star. How could one star stay put while all the rest were forced to revolve around it? Twilight had been delighted by her interest and had told her everything there was to know about it, and had even taken her to the balcony on top of the library to allow her to view it through the telescope. She had also taught her how to locate it in the night sky.

In a matter of seconds, Applejack located the North Star, and headed off to the east.

When lost in the wilderness it was very easy to end up traveling in circles, but Applejack knew a trick to prevent this. Scanning the area ahead of her, she locked her eyes onto a moss covered log and trotted straight toward it. Upon reaching it, she searched for another landmark that was in a straight line from the log and spotted a tree stump. By doing this, she ensured that she was always walking in a straight line and always heading east.

As she made her way to the next landmark, she heard the loud crack of a snapping twig to her immediate left. Startled, she whipped around to study the dense brush just as a loud screech emitted from behind her. Frightened, Applejack turned her gaze back to her landmark and did her best to ignore the unnerving sounds that surrounded her.

Easy girl. She reassured herself. It's just them night time critters scampering about. It ain't no different than any other forest you've been in. Except this one is a mite creepier.

Despite her efforts to calm herself, her mind returned to images of sharp teeth, and she began to see shapes in the shadows around her.

Determined to keep her imagination from pushing her into a full-blown panic, Applejack turned her thoughts to the pony that she had been thinking of just a little while ago. Remembering the day that she had first met Twilight, a smile instantly appeared on her face.

Twilight had arrived at the farm during the Apple Family Reunion to check on the food preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Applejack had been in high spirits and had enthusiastically welcomed her and introduced her to the entire family, effectively overwhelming the poor Unicorn.

Although Twilight had only half-heartedly eaten everything offered to her and had hightailed it off the farm at the first chance she got, Applejack had liked her immediately. There had just been something about the Unicorn, something that had drawn Applejack to her. So, when she had learned of Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony, and realized that Twilight would need her help, Applejack had volunteered without hesitation.

To this day, it amazed her to think of how Twilight had united them. Before Twilight, Applejack had focused all of her time and energy on the farm and keeping her family organized. Once Twilight had arrived, however, everything had changed.

Having harnessed the powers of the Elements of Harmony with the others, Applejack soon found that she had grown especially fond of them. Rarity would unexpectedly enter her mind when a week ago she wouldn't have given two hoots and a holler about what the fussy Unicorn was doing, and she and Rainbow Dash started to get together as companions instead of competitors.

Applejack knew that it had been Twilight's love for them that had inspired them to put aside their differences and become friends. She understood this, and would love Twilight forever for it.

A steady rain began to fall as the sun slowly began to break through the forest's gloom.

Grateful for the sun's return, but irritated by the rain, Applejack grumbled, "Of course. Just as soon as one thing gets better, somethin' else has gotta get worse."

As the hours dragged on the rain only intensified, and although Applejack kept a close eye out for any shelter that she may use, nothing presented itself.

Miserable and thoroughly drenched, Applejack muttered, "I think I'm beginnin' to see why Rarity hates the rain so much."

Despite the unpleasant circumstances, her mind drifted to the prissy Unicorn.

Of the six of them, only Applejack and Rarity had been born in Ponyville, but being so different, the two of them hadn't really spoken except for the rare occasion when Rarity came to the marketplace to buy apples.

Then, about two month after Twilight's arrival in town, Applejack had been tasked with leading a group of volunteers to remove weak branches from the trees around Ponyville before the scheduled storm moved in.

Applejack had been shocked to her core when she had discovered that Rarity had volunteered for the job. When she had located and asked the Unicorn why she wanted to help so badly, Rarity had smiled and told her that, since they were both friends with Twilight, she had simply wanted to get to know Applejack better.

Touched, Applejack had offered to work beside her, and the two of them started working on the trees in the park. It wasn't long, however, before Applejack discovered just how annoying the fussy Unicorn could be. She proved to be more worried about repairing and beautifying the damaged limbs than pulling them down, and a frustrated Applejack ended up doing most of the work. Because of this, they had fallen behind and got caught in the storm. With no other option, they had been forced to seek shelter with Twilight for the night.

This of course had led to the worst slumber party in the history of Equestria, but it had also led to the two of them becoming the best of friends.

Wondering what Twilight and Rarity were doing right now, Applejack suddenly felt a powerful surge of hatred for the two. The feeling was so strong it was staggering, but then, as quickly as it came, it was gone.

Applejack slowed to a halt in the pouring rain, blinked, and shook her head. What had just happened? She had never felt a hatred like that before, not for anypony. Where had it come from? And why had it been directed at two of her best friends?

Confused, Applejack glanced to her right and discovered a rock outcropping in the distance. Galloping through the sheets of rain, Applejack quickly located a gap in the rocks that she could squeeze into. Although it was muddy inside, it was relatively dry.

Cold, wet, and depressed, Applejack curled into a tight ball on the ground as her thoughts strayed to her hat. Wishing that she had it with her now, she felt a sharp pang of remorse as she listened to the falling rain. Applejack closed her eyes as her mind traveled back to a memory that she had not visited for many years.

"What happened, Applejack? We had plans for today, why are you so late?"

Applejack turned her gaze to the ground and rubbed her foreleg with a hoof. "I'm sorry, Pa, but I promised Caramel that I'd help him with his essay after class, but it took longer than I thought."

Applejack's father gave her a stern look from beneath his light brown western hat. "It's good that you kept your word and helped your friend, but ya shouldn't have made that promise. You'd already made plans to help me build your tree house today."

"I know, Pa," Applejack said unhappily, rolling a small rock under her hoof. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," he replied, favoring her with a warm smile. "But ya do need to understand how important it is to be dependable. It will make you a well liked and respectable pony one day. Everypony likes a dependable pony." He playfully ruffled her mane. "And most importantly, bein' dependable is just simply the right thing to do."

Applejack grinned. "All right. I'll try real hard from now on and be as dependable a pony as you are, Pa."

"Glad to hear it." He chuckled. "Now, how's about we get started on this here tree house of yours?"

With a gasp, Applejack exclaimed, "Ya still wanna do it?!"

"Well, we ain't finishin' today, that's for sure," her father answered. "But I reckon we can get a few good hours work in before your Ma comes along and drags us off to supper."

Once Applejack enthusiastically agreed, her father began to measure the wood, saw it to the appropriate length, and nail it together. While he worked, he allowed her to help him with little things like having her read off the measurements, or asking her to hold the nail in place as he hammered it. As she watched him work, Applejack was filled with wonder at how he seemed to be good at everything.

After a while of observing him construct her tree house, Applejack hesitantly asked, "Pa...why are you a farmer?"

"Hmm?" He blinked at her question. "Well, my daddy was a farmer, and my granddaddy was a farmer, and so was his daddy."

"But, why?" Applejack persisted. "Why didn't ya become a...uh, what's them ponies called that build houses and stuff?"

"Are you askin' why I didn't become a carpenter?" he inquired. When she nodded, he took a moment to think before responding. "That's a tough one. I really like to build things, and I would have been a great carpenter. I could have traveled all around Equestria, building houses and whatnot." Then he gave her a wide smile and a wink. "But I guess that, in the end, Apples don't fall far from the tree."

Applejack giggled at his answer for a moment, then turned serious. "So, am I gonna be a farmer when I grow up?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "That's gonna be up to you, honey."

Beaming brightly, Applejack loudly announced, "In that case, I'm gonna be a farmer just like you, Pa! I'm gonna grow up big and strong like you, and have a farmin' cutie mark like you, and I'll buck all the apples in the orchard all by myself!"

Laughing, her father adjusted his hat. "The whole orchard?! All by yourself! Now that would be amazin'!"

"You bet it will!" Applejack assured him. She eyed his hat with interest. "I'll even wear a hat, just like that one."

With a pleasant smile, he said, "You like my hat, huh? Well, your granddaddy gave it to me when I was just a little bit older than you are right now." Lifting his hat, he placed it on Applejack's head and watched with amusement as it slid down to cover her eyes. "Since you seem so keen on bein' a farmer yourself, maybe I'll let ya have it once it fits ya proper like."

Applejack lifted the brim of the hat and stared at her father in astonishment. "You'd give me your hat?!"

He nodded. "If you're gonna follow in the hoofsteps of the Apples, then it seems fittin' that I give it to ya."

Standing tall with her head held high and her chest thrust out, Applejack radiated with pride. "I'll take real good care of it, and it will go everywhere I go."

As thunder rolled over the Everfree Forest, Applejack shivered in the cold, muddy space beneath the rocks as she unconsciously raised a hoof up to her head. Upon finding nothing more than her mane, she began to weep bitterly as she slowly drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Comments

[golden-redhead]

It was really heartbreaking... But I loved the stories of Applejack's childhood. My new headcanon

[Godiswithus3]

Jeez. That flashback about the hat was....extremely sentimental and touching.

[zaponator]

The first taste of mystery. There seems to be something out there.

One note: this story is spending a lot of time in the past. This is fine; that flashback to her childhood was great. However, flashing back to episodes of the show isn't necessary. We've all seen it, so we don't need to read it again. These passages only really pad the word count, and tend to lead to disinterested skimming.

Anyway, that's just a small thing I noticed. I'm still very engaged overall.

[Luna-my-favorite-pony]

Ok, that’s just sad!